Various arrangements have been proposed in the past for providing modular solar concentrator cell arrays for spacecraft applications and to provide for their improved resistance to environmental and hostile threats. One of the major problems of such past proposals is the inherent problem of differential thermal expansion between the mirrors of the solar concentrator elements and the supporting structure as well as the tolerancing buildups of assembling separate supporting structure and the optical elements of the solar concentrator cell elements.
It would also be desirable to improve the specific electrical power provided by the previous arrangements by decreasing the mass of such arrays (W/kg), decreasing the deployed area (W/sq.m.), and to decrease the packaged volume (W/cu.m.). It would also be desirable to improve the cost and producibility factors of past arrangements while retaining high reliability, long life, and resistance to environmental and hostile threats.
None of these previous efforts, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects and advantages over the prior art devices through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.
It is a general object of this invention to provide a solar concentrator cell array for space applications that incorporates an integrated advanced composite mirror and structure.
It is a further general object of the invention to provide an advanced composite mirror arrangement that needs no coefficient of thermal expansion differential stress relief.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an integrated solar concentrator cell and structure arrangement which reduces structural mass and provides higher strength and structural stability per unit mass.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide for manufacture of the mirror element of the solar concentrator cell by replication, thereby providing high contour accuracy and eliminates polishing of the mirror surface.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.